Film Series to Lead Up to Preakness

The Maryland Jockey Club has announced that “Horses in Cinema,” a series featuring eight horse-related films, will held May 12-17 at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Md.

The film series is scheduled to lead up to the 137th running of the May 19 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Racecourse.

“We are honored and delighted that the AFI is hosting this classic series of films that truly capture our love affair with this magnificent animal,” said Tom Chuckas, president and COO of the Maryland Jockey Club, in a release. “Maryland’s fascination with horses touches four centuries, beginning with the establishment of the Maryland Jockey Club in 1743, North America’s oldest sporting organization. Historic Pimlico is second only to Saratoga in years, opening its doors in 1870, with the Preakness premiering in 1873.”

The series kicks off with a free showing of "Misty," the story of the Chincoteague ponies. The event is sponsored by the Maryland Horse Industry Board.

Other films in the series are "National Velvet," "The Red Pony," "The Black Stallion," "The Man From Snowy River," “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken," and “Hildago.”